This would affect the Emory River watershed upstream of Roane County.

As Tennessee's only Nationally Designated Wild & Scenic River, the Obed watershed encompasses one of the last expansive wild areas left in Tennessee and is home to clean water, solitude and a delicate ecosystem.

The State of Tennessee up until recently has helped protect the southern portion of the watershed (Catoosa Wildlife Management Area) through it's agency TWRA (Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency). The TWRA manages game/hunting as well as fishing and has historically kept mineral rights and access to Catoosa WMA off limits to private interest. This policy appears to be on the verge of reversal, as the state is now courting private interests in the form of coal and oil companies. Due to the tough economy, our most precious national resources are apparently on the table for exploitation, as TWRA and the State of Tennesse would receive millions of dollars in royalties from the extraction companies that are trying to move in.

When one particular extraction company found out about the UT proposal of doing experimental fracking on UT lands in Morgan County, they immediately flew an executive to the meeting to represent industry interest. These companies don't care about your backyard and will take the money and run as soon as the state lets them and leave nothing but destruction behind.

If one wants to get a visual impression of what a watershed looks like after extraction practices have taken their toll, one needs to look no further than the New River north of Wartburg, and the Upper Cumberland River watershed in Southeastern Kentucky. These areas are wastelands left in the wake of greed and short-sightedness that no outdoor enthusiast could consider healthy. Do we want this same fate for the wildest river system in the state?

The public has been left out of this decision process, and likely will continue to be in the dark unless something happens. These are state public lands which are the headwaters of a National Wild & Scenic River. Shouldn't we have a say in how this plays out? Shouldn't we be able to ensure the protection of this amazing watershed for the enjoyment of our future generations but also for the sake of the place itself?

My name is Kirk Eddlemon and I am a local paddler that spends a lot of time in the Obed River watershed paddling and hiking.

The follow up report is well worth watching.

(link...)